Holiday boozers beware: Law enforcement is cracking down on drunken drivers‘Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over’ this holiday season

FRANKFORT, Ky. (Dec. 12, 2013) – This holiday season,Kentucky law enforcement will be cracking down on drunken drivers throughout the state during the aggressive Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over enforcement campaign. The Kentucky Office of Highway Safety (KOHS), in partnership with Louisville Metro Police Department, kicked off the campaign, which runs through Jan. 1, 2014, at a press conference today at Saints Pizza and Pub in Louisville.

“We are giving fair warning to all partygoers,” KOHS Director Bill Bell said. “Officers will show zero tolerance for anyone driving while intoxicated.”

National data show the holiday season is a particularly deadly time due to the increased number of drunken drivers on the roads.

In December, from 2007 to 2011, there were 4,169 people killed in crashes nationwide that involved drivers with blood alcohol concentrations of 0.08 grams per deciliter or higher.

“We will be out in force, keeping our roads safe for travelers heading to visit friends and family,” Louisville Metro Police Department Sgt. Kevin Hamlin. “If you choose to drive drunk, we will see you, we will stop you and you will be arrested.”

To aid in keeping drunken drivers off the road, the KOHS partnered with Mobile Life Solutions to develop a “No DUI Kentucky” application.

The app contains the following:

·A one-touch dial feature to call the Kentucky State Police if a motorist needs to report a drunken driver

·A list of local taxi services, sober ride programs and limousine companies by working with the caller’s Global Positioning System

·A link to Kentucky’s HERO designated driver campaign website

·Information on laws and penalties for driving while impaired and the cost of getting a DUI

· A Blood Alcohol Concentration calculator

·A feature that turns the camera into impairment goggles

·A feature to select a designated driver

The “No DUI Kentucky” app is available to download for free in the Apple App Store, Google Play Store and the Windows Phone Store. Or, it can be downloaded at www.DriveSoberKY.com.

Georgia and Wisconsin are the only states to date that have similar applications.

“This day in age, most people have smart phones, so we’re putting the information directly in their hands,” Bell said. “We hope it will greatly reduce the number of people who choose to drink and drive.”

Additionally, Brown-Forman, Bradford Health Services, CityScoot and Yellow Cab are teaming up to offer more than 3,000 safe ride vouchers at select locations in the Louisville Metro area between Dec. 13 and Jan. 2 as part of the campaign to encourage people to plan ahead and keep drunken drivers off the roads.

During the two-and-half-week period, Brown-Forman will distribute safe ride vouchers at its branded promotions in bars and liquor stores located in the St. Matthews and Baxter Avenue corridors and the 4th Street Live entertainment district. For consumers wanting to plan ahead, go to www.soberrideky.com to sign up online for a CityScoot safe ride voucher. Patrons can redeem their voucher toward a safe ride home with CityScoot or Yellow Cab, courtesy of Brown-Forman and Bradford Health Services.

Each safe ride voucher is valid for $15 and may be used with CityScoot and Yellow Cab, and sister companies Checker Cab and Cardinal Cab. All vouchers are for use during the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign and must be redeemed now through midnight Thursday, Jan. 2, 2014.

“The partnership with CityScoot, Yellow Cab and Bradford Health encourages our community to enjoy the Holiday Season celebrations responsibly and get home safely,” said Rob Frederick, director of corporate responsibility for Brown-Forman. “These couple of weeks brings friends and family together and there’s no better way to enrich the holiday experience than with a safe ride home.”

Unfortunately, the excitement and celebrations of the holiday season can lead to terrible decisions– and serious legal consequences.

“Driving under the influence is one of the most preventable of crimes, and prevention is preferable to prosecution,” Jefferson County Attorney Mike O’Connell said.“The ‘No DUI Kentucky’ app will be a great tool to help prevent DUIs and to apprehend those who drive drunk. I welcome it to the resources we have to keep the public safe this holiday season.”

Remember, it is never safe to drink and drive: Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.